The Royal Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton

109 Pages·2011·12.328 MB·English

by  Michael Grace

The wedding of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine Middleton took place on Friday, 29
April 2011 at Westminster Abbey, London. Prince William, second in the line of succession to Queen Eliza-
beth II, fi rst met Catherine Middleton in 2001, while both were studying at St Andrews University. Their
engagement, which began on 20 October 2010, was announced on 16 November 2010.

The build-up to the wedding and the occasion itself attracted much media attention, with the service broad-
casted live around the world, and with it being compared and contrasted in many ways to the last high-pro-
fi le British royal wedding in the United Kingdom, the 1981 marriage of William’s parents, Prince Charles
and Lady Diana Spencer. It was watched by a global television audience of over two billion. Much of the
attention focused on Middleton’s status as a commoner (i.e., not of royal blood or a part of the aristocracy)
marrying into royalty. Hours before the service, William was granted the titles of the Duke of Cambridge,
Earl of Strathearn, and Baron Carrickfergus by the Queen. Upon her marriage, Middleton therefore became
Her Royal Highness Princess William Arthur Philip Louis, Duchess of Cambridge, Countess of Strathearn,
Baroness Carrickfergus, but is not styled as ‘Princess Catherine’.

This book is your ultimate resource for The Royal Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton.
Here you will fi nd the most up-to-date information, analysis, background and everything you need to know.
In easy to read chapters, with extensive references and links to get you to know all there is to know about
The Royal Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton right away, covering: Wedding of Prince
William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine Middleton, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Catherine,
Duchess of Cambridge, Drottningholm Music, Landshut Wedding, List of royal weddings, List of wedding
guests of Prince William of Wales and Kate Middleton, List of wedding guests of Prince William, Duke of
Cambridge, and Catherine Middleton, Wedding dress of Kate Middleton, Wedding of Charles, Prince of
Wales, and Camilla Parker Bowles, Wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Lady Diana Spencer, Wed-
ding of Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway, and Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby, Wedding of Pavlos, Crown
Prince of Greece, and Marie-Chantal Miller, Wedding of Prince Albert, Duke of York, and Lady Elizabeth
Bowes-Lyon, Wedding of Prince George, Duke of York, and Princess Mary of Teck, Wedding of Princess The Royal Wedding
Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh, Wedding of Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden,
and Daniel Westling
This book explains in-depth the real drivers and workings of The Royal Wedding of Prince William and of Prince William and
Catherine Middleton.
Catherine Middleton
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The Royal Wedding of
Prince William and
Catherine Middleton
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Contents
Articles
Wedding of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine Middleton 1
Prince William, Duke of Cambridge 15
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge 28
Drottningholm Music 35
Landshut Wedding 36
List of royal weddings 41
List of wedding guests of Prince William of Wales and Kate Middleton 42
List of wedding guests of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine Middleton 53
Wedding dress of Kate Middleton 64
Wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Camilla Parker Bowles 67
Wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Lady Diana Spencer 73
Wedding of Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway, and Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby 77
Wedding of Pavlos, Crown Prince of Greece, and Marie-Chantal Miller 80
Wedding of Prince Albert, Duke of York, and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon 87
Wedding of Prince George, Duke of York, and Princess Mary of Teck 89
Wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh 92
Wedding of Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, and Daniel Westling 95
References
Article Sources and Contributors 102
Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors 104
Article Licenses
License 106
Wedding of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine Middleton 1
Wedding of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge,
and Catherine Middleton
On Friday, 29 April 2011, Prince William, Duke
of Cambridge married Catherine Middleton at
Westminster Abbey, London at 11:00 am BST
(UTC+1). William, who is second in the line of
succession to Queen Elizabeth II, first met
Middleton in 2001, while both were students at
the University of St Andrews. Their engagement,
which began on 20 October 2010, was announced
on 16 November 2010.
The build up to the wedding and the occasion
itself attracted much media attention, with the
service broadcast live around the world, and with
it being compared and contrasted in many ways to
the last high profile British royal wedding in the
United Kingdom, the 1981 marriage of William's
parents, Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer.
It was watched by a global television audience of
[1][2]
over 2 billion. Much of the attention focused
on Middleton's status as a commoner (i.e. not of
royal blood or a part of the aristocracy) and such
marrying into royalty. Hours before the service,
William was granted the titles of the Duke of
Cambridge, Earl of Strathearn, and Baron The newly married Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine
Carrickfergus by the Queen. Upon her marriage, Middleton on the balcony of Buckingham Palace
Middleton therefore became Her Royal Highness
Princess William Arthur Philip Louis, Duchess of Cambridge, Countess of Strathearn, Baroness Carrickfergus, but
is not styled as 'Princess Catherine'.
As William was not the immediate heir to the throne, the wedding was not a full state occasion, with many details
left to the couple themselves to decide, such as much of the the guest list of about 1,900. It was, however, a public
holiday in Britain and featured many ceremonial aspects, including use of the state carriages and roles for the Foot
Guards and Household Cavalry. It was attended by most of the Royal Family, as well as many foreign royals,
diplomats, and the couple's chosen personal guests.
Middleton wore a white dress with a 270-centimetre (110 in) train, by English designer Sarah Burton, as well as a
tiara lent to her by the Queen. William, commissioned as a Royal Navy Lieutenant, Army Captain and Air Force
Flight Lieutenant, chose instead to wear the uniform of his honorary rank of Colonel of the Regiment for the Irish
Guards. William's best man was his brother, Prince Harry, while the bride's sister, Pippa, acted as her maid of
honour. The Dean of Westminster officiated most of the service, with the Archbishop of Canterbury conducting the
marriage ceremony itself and the Bishop of London giving the sermon. A reading was also given by the bride's
brother, James. After the ceremony, the newly married couple travelled in procession to Buckingham Palace for the
traditional appearance on the balcony and a fly past before crowds assembled in The Mall.
Wedding of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine Middleton 2
Following the wedding, the couple intend to continue residing on the Isle of Anglesey in North Wales, where Prince
William is based as an RAF Search and Rescue pilot.
Engagement announcement
On 16 November 2010, Clarence House announced that Prince William, elder son of the Prince of Wales, was to
[3]
marry his long-time girlfriend Kate Middleton "in the Spring or Summer of 2011, in London". They were engaged
in October 2010 while on a private holiday in Kenya; William gave Middleton the same engagement ring that his
[4]
father had given to William's mother, Diana, Princess of Wales —an 18-carat white gold ring with a 12-carat oval
[5]
sapphire and 14 round diamonds. It was announced at approximately the same time that, after their marriage, the
[3][6]
couple will live on the Isle of Anglesey in Wales, where Prince William is based with the Royal Air Force.
[7]
The Prince of Wales said he was "thrilled ... they have been practising long enough", and Queen Elizabeth II said
[4]
she was "absolutely delighted" for the couple, giving her formal consent to the marriage, as required by the Royal
[8]
Marriages Act 1772, in her British privy council on the morning of the engagement. Congratulations also came in
[9] [10] [11]
from the Queen's prime ministers, including Prime Minister of Australia Julia Gillard, who has moderate
[12]
republican leanings. Further, Pete Broadbent, suffragan Bishop of Willesden, who has known republican views,
published his reaction to the wedding announcement on Facebook. He later acknowledged that his words were
[13]
"offensive" and subsequently apologised, but his superior, Richard Chartres, Bishop of London, instructed him to
[14][15]
withdraw from public ministry "until further notice".
[16]
Following the announcement the couple gave an exclusive interview to ITV News political editor Tom Bradby
[17] [18]
and hosted a photocall at St. James's Palace. On 12 December 2010, Buckingham Palace issued the official
engagement photographs; these were taken on 25 November, in the state apartments at St. James's Palace, by
[19][20]
photographer Mario Testino.
The original engagement announcement stated simply that the wedding will be "in the spring or summer of 2011".
On 23 November 2010 the date of Friday 29 April 2011 was confirmed. It was later announced that the day will be
[21] [22]
declared a public holiday throughout the United Kingdom, formal confirmation being made by the Queen in
[23]
Council on 15 December 2010. The wedding date has also been declared an official public holiday in Bermuda,
the Cayman Islands, Isle of Man, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey, the Falkland Islands, Montserrat and the Turks and
[24][25][26]
Caicos.
As 29 April falls six days before elections for the Scottish Parliament and the Alternative Vote referendum, this has
[27] [28] [29] [30]
attracted political comment. John Curtice, a professor of politics at the University of Strathclyde,
stated for the Scottish elections that the date was "unfortunate" and was "likely to see the Royal Family getting
[31]
caught up in political debate".
Couple
Prince William is the elder son of Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, and Diana, Princess of Wales, and grandson of
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. As such, he is second, behind his father, in the line of
succession to the throne in 16 independent states known as the Commonwealth realms. William was educated at
Ludgrove School, Eton College, and the University of St Andrews, after which he was commissioned as an officer
[32]
from Sandhurst in the Blues and Royals regiment of the Household Cavalry. He later transferred to the RAF and
[33][34]
went on to become a full-time pilot with the Search and Rescue Force at RAF Valley, Anglesey.
Catherine "Kate" Middleton is the eldest of three children born to Michael and Carole Middleton. She was educated
[35] [36]
at St Andrew's School in Pangbourne, Marlborough College, and the University of St Andrews. After
[37]
graduating, she worked in retail and then as an accessories buyer/catalogue photographer at her parents' business.
[38]
She is primarily of English descent, but with a few distant Scottish and French Huguenot ancestors. Her paternal
[39]
family came from Leeds, West Yorkshire, while her mother's maternal family, the Harrisons, were working-class
Wedding of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine Middleton 3
[40]
labourers and miners from County Durham.
The couple met while undergraduates at the University of St Andrews, where they both lived at St Salvator's Hall
[41] [42]
during their first year, after which they shared accommodation in the town for two years. They are fifteenth
[38] [43]
cousins—having Sir Thomas Fairfax and his wife, Agnes, as common ancestors —and are possibly twelfth
cousins once removed, circumstantial evidence suggesting that they are both descended from Sir Thomas Leighton
[38][44]
and Elizabeth Knollys.
Planning
Note: All times are in British Summer Time (UTC+01)
On 23 November 2010, Clarence House announced the date for the wedding as 29 April 2011 (Feast Day of Saint
[21][45] [46]
Catherine of Siena) and the venue as Westminster Abbey, a Royal Peculiar founded in AD 960. Although
the abbey has been the traditional location for coronations since 1066, it has only recently been the church of choice
for royal weddings; prior to 1918, most royal weddings took place in the royal chapels such as the Chapel Royal at
[47]
St James's Palace and St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. The abbey, which has a usual seating capacity of
[48]
2000, has been the venue for recent royal weddings, including those of Elizabeth II (then Princess Elizabeth) to
Prince Philip (1947), Princess Margaret to Anthony Armstrong-Jones (1960), Princess Anne to Mark Phillips (1973),
[49]
and Prince Andrew to Sarah Ferguson (1986).
It was also announced that the costs of the wedding itself will be met by the
Royal Family and the Middletons themselves, while the costs of security and
[50] [51]
transport will be covered by the British treasury. The couple have also
[52]
asked that donations be made to charities in place of traditional wedding gifts;
to that end, they established The Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton
Charitable Gift Fund, which focuses on assisting charities such as the New
Zealand Christchurch Earthquake Appeal, the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary,
[53]
the Royal Flying Doctor Service, and the Zoological Society of London.
Timings
At 6.00 am roads in and around the processional route were closed to traffic.
From 8.15 am, the main congregation, governors-general, prime ministers of
Westminster Abbey is the place of Commonwealth realms, and diplomats, all arrived at the Abbey. Princes William
coronations and many royal and Harry then left Clarence House at 10.10 am in a Bentley State Limousine,
weddings
and arrived at 10.18 am, followed by representatives of foreign royal families,
the Middleton family, and, lastly, the Prince's own family (the Princess Royal,
the Duke of York, Princess Beatrice of York, Princess Eugenie of York, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, Vice
Admiral Timothy Laurence, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall). By tradition, the Queen and the
Duke of Edinburgh were the last members of the Royal Family to leave Buckingham Palace, arriving at the Abbey
for 10.48 am. The bridal party then left the Goring Hotel in the former Number one state Rolls-Royce Phantom VI at
[54]
10.52 am, in time for the service to begin at 11 am. The service finished at 12.15 pm, after which the newly
married couple travelled to Buckingham Palace in a procession consisting of other royal family members, the parents
of the groom and bride, the best man, and the bridesmaids. At 1.25 pm, the couple appeared on the balcony at
Buckingham Palace to watch a fly-past consisting of Lancaster, Spitfire, and Hurricane aircraft from the Battle of
Britain Memorial Flight, followed by two Typhoons and two Tornado GR4s.
Wedding of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine Middleton 4
Ceremony
The route of the couple
The route of the bride and groom went between Buckingham Palace
and Westminster Abbey, by The Mall, passing Clarence House, by
Horse Guards Road, Horse Guards Parade, through Horse Guards
Arch, Whitehall, the south side of Parliament Square, and Broad
[55]
Sanctuary.
Wedding service
St James's Palace announced on 5 January that the ceremony was to Route of the bride and groom to and from the
wedding ceremony at Westminster Abbey
start at 11:00 local time and that the bride would arrive at the abbey by
car rather than by carriage (the latter is the traditional transport for
royal brides.) The route was along The Mall, through Horse Guards Parade, and down Whitehall to the abbey. After
the ceremony, the bridal couple returned along the same route by carriage to a reception hosted by the Queen at
[56][57]
Buckingham Palace. The Prince of Wales is to host a private dinner in the evening.
In a break with royal tradition, the groom had a best man—his brother, Prince Harry—rather than a supporter, while
the bride chose her sister, Pippa, as maid of honour. There were four bridesmaids—Lady Louise Windsor, the
seven-year old daughter of the Earl and Countess of Wessex; The Hon. Margarita Armstrong-Jones, the eight-year
old daughter of Viscount and Viscountess Linley; Grace van Cutsem, the three-year old daughter of the couple's
friend Hugh van Cutsem; and Eliza Lopes, the three-year old granddaughter of The Duchess of Cornwall. Two page
boys participated: William Lowther-Pinkerton, the ten-year old son of William's private secretary Major Jamie
Lowther-Pinkerton, and Tom Pettifer, the eight-year old son of Princes William and Harry's former nanny, "Tiggy"
[58][59]
Pettifer.
The Dean of Westminster officiated for most of the service, with Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury,
[56] [60]
conducting the marriage ceremony itself and Richard Chartres, the Bishop of London, giving the sermon. It
has long been traditional for the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Church of England's most senior bishop, to officiate
[61]
at the weddings of England's monarchs and future monarchs, but as Chartres is a close friend of the Prince of
[62]
Wales, he was invited to take part in the ceremony.
Liturgy and bridal vow
Kate did not promise to "obey" her new husband in her vows but instead to "love, comfort, honour and keep" him.
[63]
The bridal couple used the the Series One (1966) Book of Common Prayer ceremony.
The Lesson from the New Testament, Romans Chapter 12, verses 1–2 and 9–18, was read by the bride's brother,
[64]
James Middleton.
Music
The bride processed down the aisle to the anthem "I Was Glad," written by by Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry,
from Psalm 122. It was composed for the crowning of Prince William's great-great-great grandfather, Edward VII, at
[65]
Westminster Abbey in 1902. As the choir sang, the bride made her three-and-a-half minute procession through
the Nave and Quire on her father's arm, to meet the Prince. The recessional music was the orchestral march "Crown
[66]
Imperial" by William Walton, which was also played at Charles and Diana's wedding.
Choral compositions featured in the service were Parry's Blest Pair of Sirens during the signing of the register, Paul
Mealor's Ubi Caritas et Amor as the motet and a specially-commissioned anthem "This is the day which the Lord
[67][68]
hath made" by John Rutter.
Wedding of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine Middleton 5
The young Welsh composer Paul Mealor was said to have been surprised to find out that his motet had been chosen
[69][70]
for the ceremony. In the weeks before the wedding, there was some discussion in the music press of how Sir
Peter Maxwell Davies, the Master of the Queen's Music, was upset to have not been commissioned to compose for
the service, although two of his instrumental pieces "Veni Creator Spiritus" and "Farewell to Stromness" were
[71][67]
included in the music performed before the service.
Two choirs, one orchestra and a fanfare team performed the music at the wedding service of Prince William and
Middleton at Westminster Abbey. These were the Westminster Abbey Choir, Chapel Royal Choir and London
[72]
Chamber Orchestra, and a fanfare team of the Central Band of the Royal Air Force.
The choirs were directed by James O’Donnell, Organist and Master of the Choristers at Westminster Abbey. The
Abbey’s Sub Organist, Robert Quinney, played the organ. The Organist, Choir Master and Composer at Her
Majesty’s Chapel Royal is Andrew Gant. The London Chamber Orchestra was conducted by Christopher
Warren-Green, who is its Music Director and Principal conductor.
[73]
The fanfares were performed under the direction of Wing Commander Duncan Stubbs, whose own composition,
Valiant and Brave, was performed as the royal couple signed the wedding register.[72] Preux et audicieux (which
translates from French as "Valiant and Brave") is the motto of 22 Squadron, in which Prince William is serving as a
[74]
search and rescue pilot at RAF Valley in North Wales.
Hymns
William and Kate chose three of their favourite hymns: "Jerusalem", and two others with a strong association with
Wales. The first was the rousing "Guide me, O Thou Great Redeemer". It is also known as the Welsh rugby anthem
"Bread of Heaven," and the Duke of Cambridge is the vice-royal patron of the Welsh Rugby Union. It was sung at
the funeral of Princess Diana, and is associated with Welsh Male Voice Choirs and Eisteddfodau, having been
[75]
originally written in Welsh by 18th-century Methodist preacher William Williams.
The words to their second hymn, "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling" were written by 18th-century Methodist
evangelical preacher Charles Wesley. Its tune – Blaenwern – was composed by a Welshman, William Penfro
Rowlands, during the Welsh Christian revival of 1904–5. This hymn was sung at the Prince of Wales’ 2005 marriage
[75]
to the Duchess of Cornwall.
The third hymn, also considered as an anthem, is "Jerusalem". With text by visionary 19th-century poet William
Blake and music written in 1916 by Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry, it is "a favourite at Last Night of the Proms,
[75]
the Women's Institute and weddings."
Clothing
Bridal dress
The bridal dress was designed by English designer Sarah Burton at
[76]
Alexander McQueen. It was made of satin and featured a lace
applique bodice and skirt. The lace bodice design was hand-made
using a technique that originated in Ireland in the 1820s called
Carrickmacross, which involved cutting out the detailings of roses,
The couple return from the Abbey to the Palace thistles, daffodils and shamrocks and applying them to the ivory silk
in the 1902 State Landau coach tulle individually.[77] These lace appliques were hand-made by the
[78]
Royal School of Needlework, based at Hampton Court Palace.
The bridal train measured 270 cm (110 in), and along with the lace, all other fabrics used in the creation of the dress
were sourced from and supplied by British companies. The lace motifs were pinned, "framed up" and applied with
stab stitching every 2–3 mm around each one. Workers washed their hands every 30 minutes to keep the lace and
Wedding of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine Middleton 6
[79]
threads pristine, and the needles were renewed every three hours, to keep them sharp and clean.
Bridal tiara and veil
The veil is held in place by a Cartier Scroll Tiara, made in 1936 and lent to Miss Middleton by the Queen. It was
purchased by the Queen's father, the Duke of York (subsequently King George VI) for his Duchess (later Queen
Elizabeth and the Queen Mother) three weeks before succeeding his brother Edward VIII (Duke of Windsor) as
King. Princess Elizabeth (now the Queen) received the tiara from her mother on her 18th birthday.
Designed by Shane Connolly, the bride's shield-shaped wired bouquet contained myrtle, Lily of the Valley, Sweet
[79]
William and hyacinth.
Groom's uniform
Although William is a serving Royal Air Force flight lieutenant and also holds the equivalent Royal Navy rank of
lieutenant and Army rank of captain, he chose instead to wear the full dress uniform of the Irish Guards displaying
the rank of colonel. William has been entitled to wear this uniform since 10 February 2011 when he was appointed
[80]
the honorary colonel of the Irish Guards. Additionally he wore the peaked hat of the Irish Guards, rather than the
bearskin. As a Knight of the Order of the Garter, he wore the order's blue riband, to which was affixed his RAF
[81]
wings and Golden Jubilee Medal. The uniform was made by the Savile Row tailors Gieves & Hawkes. William
did not wear a sword as he was entering a church.
Family celebrations
The Queen hosted a lunchtime reception at Buckingham Palace, starting after the arrival carriage with the married
couple. It was a private gathering for guests drawn from the congregation who represent the couple's official and
private lives. During the reception, the couple will give an appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony. The East
front of the palace contains this well-known balcony on which the Royal Family traditionally congregate to greet
[55]
crowds outside. Canapés were served at the reception. The Official Harpist to the Prince of Wales, Claire Jones,
[73]
performed. The reception is expected to finish in the mid-afternoon.
After the reception, at 3.35pm William drove his new bride out of the palace back up the Mall for the short distance
to Clarence House, his official London residence. The car, a two seat Aston Martin DB6 MkII convertible, had been
decorated in the customary 'newly wed' style by the best man and friends; the rear number plate read "JUSTWED".
The Prince had changed out of his uniform; his wife was still wearing her wedding dress. The car had been given to
Prince Charles by the Queen as a 21st birthday present. In a surprise organised by RAF Wattisham, the car was
shadowed by a yellow RAF Sea King helicopter flying the RAF Ensign from its winch cable, marking William's
[82]
current service as a pilot with the RAF Search and Rescue Force.
In the evening, The Prince of Wales will give a private dinner,
followed by dancing, at Buckingham Palace for the couple and their
[55]
close friends and family.
Guest list
On 16 and 17 February, three sets of guest lists were sent out in the
name of the Queen. As William is not the heir apparent, the wedding is
[83]
not a "state occasion". Thus protocol has dictated that many guests
The newly married couple and family appearing (or their successors in office) who were invited to the wedding of
on the Buckingham Palace balcony Charles, Prince of Wales, and Lady Diana Spencer on 29 July 1981
need not be invited to William's wedding. More than half of the guests
Wedding of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine Middleton 7
will be family and friends of the couple, though there will be a significant number of Commonwealth leaders
(including the governors-general who represent the Queen in Commonwealth realms other than the UK, prime
ministers of the Commonwealth realms, and heads of government of other Commonwealth countries), members of
religious organisations, the diplomatic corps, several military officials, members of the British Royal Household,
members of foreign royal families, and representatives of William's charities and others with whom William has
worked on official business. Although St James's Palace declined to publish the names of those invited, a breakdown
of guests was published by category−the list made no mention of foreign heads of state, though it was announced
[84]
that about 40 members of foreign royal families had been invited.
The first list, consisting of about 1,900 people, is of attendees to the ceremony in the abbey. The second list of
approximately 600 people is of those invited to the luncheon reception at Buckingham Palace, hosted by the Queen.
[84]
The final list, containing about 300 names, is for the evening dinner hosted by the Prince of Wales.
On 19 April Sean Cardinal Brady, Primate of All Ireland said he will attend. The invitation to the event and its
acceptance, have been described as “unprecedented” by a spokesman for Ireland’s Catholic bishops. The spokesman
attributed the invitation to Cardinal Brady’s contribution to the Northern Ireland peace process.
Wedding cake
The wedding cake had a strong British floral theme, using elements of the Joseph Lambeth technique. It was a
multi-tiered traditional fruit cake decorated with cream and white icing. The Lambeth technique is based on a style
of decorating that was popular in England where chefs and decorators would use a lot of intricate piping to create
3-D scrollwork, leaves, flowers, and other decoration. The method is still popular today and is frequently used by
wedding cake designers and decorators to create ornate wedding cakes. The cake designer Fiona Cairns was chosen
in February 2011 to create the wedding cake. Furthermore, McVitie's created a special cake from chocolate biscuit
for the reception at Buckingham Palace. The chocolate biscuit cake was made from a Royal Family recipe and was
[55]
specially requested by Prince William.
Broadcasting
The wedding was widely broadcast on television, internet, and radio. It was estimated that the coverage would be
[85] [86] [87]
watched by two billion people worldwide. ITV, BBC, and CNN covered the ceremony and associated
[85]
events live through the combined pool of footage from the BBC, Sky, and ITN to help cover the overall cost. In
North America, which is five to eight hours behind British Summer Time, the wedding occured during the time
usually taken up by network breakfast television programmes, which expanded their normal length to allow for full
coverage. NBC's Today began coverage at 4 am Eastern Time and partnered with ITV.[88] [89] ABC partnered with
[90] [91]
BBC, CBS has its own live London affiliates, and Fox partnered with Sky News. The CBC carried BBC
[92] [93] [94]
coverage, while CTV had live coverage. Cable networks and radio also had live coverage. The ABC also
took the BBC feed in Australia, in addition with Pay TV UKTV. Coverage was also provided on the Seven Network,
Nine Network and Network Ten. The ABC had planned to produce alternative commentary with The Chaser, but in
[95]
response to these plans, the BBC barred the use of its footage for such a purpose, on orders from Clarence House.
[96]
The royal wedding was also streamed live online on YouTube via The Royal Channel. In Serbia the wedding was
broadcast on Radio Television of Serbia and B92 Info, while in China CCTV News and Phoenix Info News did so.
In Portugal, the wedding was covered by RTP and TVI.
Viewership of the wedding was recorded by electricity use in Ontario, where, at the approximate moment Middleton
arrived at Westminster Abbey, the Independent Electricity System Operator recorded a 300 megawatt drop in
electricity use, which was attributed to "people going about their normal morning routines [stopping] whatever they
were doing, rather than make breakfast or shower, and watch the TV"; similar phenomena is observed during
[97]
important hockey games.